Akira barely caught his breath as another student lunged at him manifesting two violent whips. The dark wisps lashed towards his neck. Akira raised his sword cutting through the whips with a blaring hiss.
Rika tugged at his shoulder. "We gotta go. Now!"
He felt sweat drip down his knuckles feeling the sword slipping from his hands. Akira let go a nod following behind her.
The ground beneath them shook violently as the chaos of the arena unfolded before them. There were ice shards shattering on the tan ground. Flashes of lighting and burst of energy illuminated the battlefield. The terrain before them was a full-fledged war zone.
"Is anywhere safe?" Akira shouted over the noise.
"To find a promotion token!" Rika called back.
Promotion tokens. The headmaster had mentioned them during orientation—a limited number scattered throughout the arena. Only those who claimed one would be eligible for advancement.
As they sprinted, Akira caught sight of a student perched atop a floating platform, a glowing token clenched in his hand. Two others were attempting to climb the platform's narrow supports, but the student above rained down spears of light, forcing them back.
"Forget that one," Rika said, noticing Akira's gaze. "It's a deathtrap. There are more tokens deeper in the arena."
Before they could take another step, a hulking figure stepped into their path.
"Well, well," the boy said, his voice dripping with malice. He was tall and broad, his uniform strained against his muscles. His Sigil manifested as a pair of metallic gauntlets that crackled with electricity. "A newbie and a runt. This should be easy."
Rika groaned. "That's Jin. He's a D-rank, but he might as well be C-rank. He's been hoarding promotion tokens for weeks."
Jin grinned. "That's right."
Akira tightened his grip on the fiery blade. Despite the adrenaline coursing through him, his legs felt like jelly. Jin exuded confidence, and the crackling gauntlets didn't help his nerves.
Rika stepped forward, raising her hands. A translucent barrier shimmered into existence between them and Jin.
"Stay behind me," she hissed. "His Sigil's all about brute force. I can hold him off for a bit."
Jin laughed, slamming his fists together. The sound was like thunder clapping. "What cute trick. Thankfully thunder fades."
He leaped forward, slamming is gauntlets into the barrier. Shockwaves rippled through the air. Rika clenched her teeth, hands trembling struggling as her maintain the shield to full power.
Akira's heart pounded. He couldn't just stand there and let Rika take the brunt of the attack. The flames of his Sigil pulsed, as if responding to his emotions.
"Hey, Jin!" Akira shouted, stepping out from behind the barrier.
Jin paused, his expression shifting to one of amusement. "Oh? You want to play hero, newbie?"
Akira didn't respond. He swung the blade, sending a wave of fire cascading toward Jin. The flames roared, forcing the larger boy to leap back.
"Not bad," Jin said, brushing soot off his uniform. "Are you ready for round two!"
Jin charged again, his gauntlets glowing brighter. Akira braced himself, raising the blade just in time to block the blow. Electricity collided and sparks flew, the force pushing both teens tumbling backwards.
"You're stronger than you look," Jin admitted, cracking his neck. "But you're still out of your league."
Before Akira could respond, Rika shouted, "Duck!"
He dropped to the ground just as a bolt of shadowy energy shot past him, striking Jin square in the chest. The larger boy staggered, clutching his side.
"Who-?" Jin growled, turning toward the source of the attack.
A wiry student stepped out from the shadows, his Sigil a swirling mass of dark energy coiled around his arms. He smirked, his eyes flicking between Akira and Rika.
"Looks like you two could use some help," the newcomer said.
Rika frowned. "Who are you?"
"Name's Yuto," he said casually. "I'm just another D-rank trying to survive. Figured I'd even the odds a bit."
Akira exchanged a wary glance with Rika. Yuto's sudden appearance was convenient—too convenient. But there wasn't time to question his motives. Jin was already recovering, his gauntlets sparking dangerously.
"Fine," Rika said reluctantly. "But if you try anything—"
"Relax," Yuto interrupted, his smirk widening. "I'm on your side. At the moment."
The three of them stared down Jin, who was pissed off his cheeks flaring.
"You're all ants under my feet!" Jin bellowed, his fists. The electricity surrounding him formed jagged lines, emitting an eerie sound that shifted the air.
"We can do this," Rika affirmed, her barrier stabilizing.
Akira gripped his sword casting Rika faint smile. Since arriving in this strange land he felt a sense of clarity and his senses sharping. I need to block out everything around me. Focus on this power and channel. I am strong and I deserve to be here. This is part of my destiny. We will survive.
As Jin charged, the three student united as one their sigils ablaze with rebellion.
The flaming blade in Akira's hands felt light as a feather as if it was an extension of his own body. Why isn't this blade burning me. I guess that's a question for another time. Time was short to observe this phenomenon; chaos filled the arena.
Students were clashing left and right, their Sigils flaring to life in dazzling displays of power. A boy nearby conjured a whirlwind, hurling it at his opponents, while another created spikes of ice that erupted from the ground. Akira barely ducked as a rogue fireball scorched the air above his head.
"We need to move!" Rika shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward a cluster of jagged rocks that offered some cover.
As they crouched behind the rocks, Akira struggled to process what had just happened. "What was that?" he asked, glancing at the blade. The flames licked harmlessly at his skin, their glow casting strange shadows on the ground.
"Your Sigil," Rika said, peeking out from their hiding spot. "And it's not just any Sigil—it's powerful. No wonder that guy ran for his life."
"Yeah, but I don't even know how I did it," Akira admitted. "It just… happened."
Rika smirked. "That's how it works for most of us the first time. Sigils are tied to your instincts, your will to survive. The more you use it, the more you'll understand it."
"Great," Akira muttered. "No pressure."
A shadow passed over them, and Rika yanked him down just as a spear of glowing energy slammed into the rock above them, shattering it into shards.
"Found you, newbie!" a voice sneered.
Akira looked up to see the wiry boy he had scared off earlier, now flanked by two others. One had a glowing whip coiled in her hand, while the other's arms were encased in stone up to the elbows.
"Guess I'll just have to take that token from you the hard way," the boy said, summoning another spear.
"Token?" Akira asked, confused.
Rika grimaced. "Didn't I mention that part? You need a token to pass the challenge. There are only so many to go around."
"And we've got ours," the girl with the whip added, holding up a glowing medallion. "But taking yours will bump us up the rankings."
Akira tightened his grip on the flaming blade. "What happens if I don't have a token by the end of this?"
"You don't want to find out," Rika said, her voice low. "Trust me."